Decks of standard playing cards (other card games such as UNO are allowed)

Food or candy: Including gum (due to customs regulations)

Used items (due to customs regulations)

Toothpaste (due to customs regulations)

Liquids or items that could leak, melt, freeze, or break - Shampoo, creams, lip balm, bath gels, mirrors, or glass, etc. (these can damage other items in the shoebox).

Items that can scare or harm a child - War-related toys, knives, and toy guns, etc.

Note: We would prefer that you NOT use backpacks. Backpacks accommodate more gift items, which is nice for the child who receives it, but can seem unfair to other children nearby who must be given conventional shoe boxes. Backpacks are also more challenging than shoeboxes to insert into our standard cardboard shipping cartons, and they can raise concerns when they arrive at Customs.

WHY NO CANDY OR FOOD?

Customs and health officials in a growing number of the countries have either changed their food safety laws or decided to enforce the laws in place. In order to enforce these laws, they are taking more time to carefully inspect box after box, searching for candy or food. These inspections are delaying our distributions, and sometimes forcing us to re-direct shoeboxes to other countries, while we work through the issue with government officials.

Given these circumstances, rather than risk having deserving children not receive gift-filled shoeboxes, we’ve decided to stop allowing the boxes to depart Canada with any type of candy or food inside. Volunteers at our shoebox processing centers will be monitoring to ensure any food items in the boxes are donated to local charities.

Eliminating candy may be sad news for some Canadian shoebox donors. But it’s necessary so ALL the boxes you pack are cleared through every step of the receiving countries’ customs and health inspection processes and into the hands of hurting children in countries like Costa Rica, Senegal, and Haiti.

Rather than viewing this as bad news, please make it good news by ensuring the boxes you pack are filled to the brim with toys, school supplies, hygiene items, and other items needy children would love.

Bringing Good News and Great Joy to children who are hurting is what we all want, and we at Samaritan’s Purse thank you for caring enough to transform lives through Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. You are a blessing to children who may have never received a gift during their entire lives.

Shoebox Labels:

4. MAKE YOUR MINIMUM $7 DONATION

Please donate a minimum of $7 for each shoebox you prepare to help cover project costs--including shipping. Please make one combined donation for multiple shoeboxes.

Simply make your donation online or place your cheque or cash donation in an envelope inside your shoebox, on top of the items. If you make an online donation, you do not need to include the donation receipt in the shoebox. Tax-deductible receipts will be issued for donations of $15 or more.